PERFORMANCE-CHARACTERISTICS OF A HYDROGEN FUELED SI ENGINE USING TIMED MANIFOLD INJECTION

Hydrogen, as an S.I. engine fuel acquires special significance in view of its unlimited supply potential and almost non-polluting characteristics. However, undesirable combustion problems such as backfiring, pre-ignition, knocking and rapid rate of pressure rise during combustion have been some, of the well-identified problems which have bothered the hydrogen engine researchers. Present work, based on different fuel induction techniques tried by the authors, brings out the effectiveness of timed manifold injection (TMI) in overcoming these problems. The performance characteristics of a hydrogen fuelled S.I. engine have been evaluated incorporating a specially designed time manifold injection (TMI) system and performance parameters of the engine such as brake thermal efficiency, specific fuel consumption and brake mean effective pressure have been experimentally determined over its entire range of operation. The TMI system effectiveness has also been studied with respect to suppression of undesirable combustion phenomena so characteristic of the hydrogen carburetted engine system.